Method of controlling soil moisture, water accumulation and fertilizer distribution in land

ABSTRACT

Described herein is a method of controlling soil moisture, water accumulation and fertilizer distribution in land. Elevation location data for land areas are extracted from two or more pixels of a topographic image including topographic data. Each pixel represents a land area. Wetness indices for the land areas are determined from the elevation and location data, based on the slope between two or more defined areas of land and an upslope contributing area per unit contour length. At risk defined areas of land, e.g., those at risk of accumulating water are identified based on wetness indices. Water is transported from the at risk defined areas of land to another location. The transporting of water reduces the risk of accumulating water in the at risk defined areas of land and improves crop growth potential in those areas.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method of controlling soil moisture,water accumulation and fertilizer distribution in land. In particular,the present method employs topographic data to implement the control onfarmland, where elevational differences may redistribute water andfertilizer.

Description of the Related Art

The topography of the land, the amount of water that falls on the land(e.g. through precipitation and irrigation), and soil properties factorinto the amount of moisture that accumulate in the soil within a givenland portion. Such considerations matter to the farmer and othersinvolved in farm management. The orientation of farmland with regard tothe position of the sun influences the amount of water removed from thesoil by evaporation, which is another component of soil moisturevariations across the land. The amount of water retained by the soil maybe related to achievable crop yield, whereas lack of water or excesswater can reduce the yield. Year-to-year variations in the yield can beattributed to the amount of water retained by the soil and other factorslike farm management, seed type, among other factors.

Within a farm or other parcel of land, there may be any number ofvariations in the elevation of the land. Water will accumulate in areasof low elevation, with precipitation and water from irrigation runningoff from higher elevation areas within a farm. Low lying areas may beexpected to have more water on and in the soil, due to water collectingin these areas. Depending on the amount of water and evaporation fromsolar radiation, crop yield may be affected adversely. Too much wateraccumulating on or in the land may adversely affect crop yield. Forexample, in a relatively wet year more water will accumulate in lowelevation areas, with the excess water possibly pooling on the surface.Such excessive water can lower crop yield.

In agriculture, too much water can be counterproductive by preventingroot development, thereby inhibiting the growth of crops. Too much wateralso can limit access to the land, particularly by farm machinery. Largeand heavy farm machinery, e.g., tractors and other implements, are usedto prepare the seedbed, to plant the crop, to cultivate the crop, and toharvest the crop. Operating heavy machinery on excessively wet soil maycompact the soil to an extent that the soil becomes degraded andunusable for growing purposes.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the present principles, described hereinis a computer-implemented method of controlling soil moisture and wateraccumulation in land. In the method, elevation data and location datafor defined areas of land within a larger area of land are extractedfrom two or more pixels of a topographic image that includes topographicdata, with each pixel corresponding to a defined area of land. Theelevation and location data are employed in determining wetness indicesfor the defined areas of land based on a slope between two or moredefined areas of land and an upslope contributing area per unit contourlength for the defined areas of land. Based on the determined wetnessindices, at risk defined areas of land that are at risk of accumulatingwater are identified. Water is transported from the at risk definedareas of land to another location. The determination of wetness indicesis made in a hardware processor and the transporting of water reducesthe risk of accumulating water in the at risk defined areas of land andimproves crop growth potential in said areas.

Further in accordance with present principles, described is a system forcontrolling soil moisture and water accumulation in land. The systemincludes one or more processors including memory and one or more inputsthrough which topographic data for land is received by the system. Thesystem includes an analyzer that analyzes the topographic data todetermine the elevations and locations of defined areas of the land anda wetness index calculator that determines wetness indices for thedefined areas of the land. A risk determiner and risk alleviator isprovided that, based on the determined wetness indices, identifies atrisk defined areas of land that are at risk of accumulating water andcontrols the transporting of water away from the at risk defined areasof land. A network of passages is provided to transport water away fromthe at risk defined areas of land.

Still further in accordance with present principles, described iscomputer program product for controlling soil moisture and wateraccumulation in land, the computer program product comprising anon-transitory computer readable storage medium having programinstructions embodied therewith, the program instructions beingexecutable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method inwhich elevation data and location data for defined areas of land withina larger area of land are extracted from two or more pixels of atopographic image that includes topographic data, with each pixelcorresponding to a defined area of land. The elevation and location dataare employed in determining wetness indices for the defined areas ofland based on a slope between two or more defined areas of land and anupslope contributing area per unit contour length for the defined areasof land. Based on the determined wetness indices, at risk defined areasof land that are at risk of accumulating water are identified. Water istransported from the at risk defined areas of land to another location.The determination of wetness indices reduces the risk of accumulatingwater in the at risk defined areas of land and improves crop growthpotential in said areas.

These and other features and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof,which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will provide details in the following description ofpreferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a processing system to which thepresent principles may be applied;

FIG. 2 represents topographic images that may be used in makingdeterminations of wetness indices for different portions, e.g., areas ofland, in accordance with an embodiment of the with present principles;

FIG. 3 depicts additional topographical data that may be used in makingdeterminations of wetness indices for different portions of land areasin accordance with an embodiment of the with present principles;

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a system for controlling soilmoisture and water accumulation in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent principles;

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a system for controlling soilmoisture, water accumulation and fertilizer distribution in accordancewith an embodiment of the present principles;

FIG. 6 depicts a segment of pipe including an operable valve that may beemployed in embodiments in accordance with the present principles;

FIG. 7 depicts an aerial view of a plot of land having soil moisture andwater accumulation control in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent principles;

FIG. 8 depicts an aerial view of a plot of land having soil moisture,water accumulation, and fertilizer distribution control in accordancewith an embodiment of the present principles;

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a method for controlling soilmoisture, water accumulation, and fertilizer distribution in accordancewith an embodiment of the present principles;

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary cloud computing node in accordance with anembodiment of the present principles;

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary cloud computing environment in accordancewith an embodiment of the present principles; and

FIG. 12 shows exemplary abstraction model layers, in accordance with anembodiment of the present principles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to an embodiment of the present principles, described is amethod in which topology of a plot of land is analyzed anddeterminations are made concerning the likelihood that water willaccumulate on the surface of certain parts of the land and/or whethercertain parts are likely to accumulation more water than would bebeneficial. Topographic data for a plot of land is obtained. Thetopographic data may be an image in which the pixels of the imagecorrespond to cells, e.g., discreet portions of land areas that have asize, e.g., an area, that is dependent on the resolution of the image.The slope between two or more adjacent areas of land is determined.Then, a wetness index is determined for the areas of land. If it isdetermined that, based on the wetness indices, that areas of land are atrisk of accumulating water, then action is then taken. For example, atiling system having a network of interconnected pipes and controlvalves configured to move water away from high risk areas of land may beinstalled and used to transport water to a water source location, e.g.,a lake, a pond, a stream a river, etc.

In one embodiment, the pipes of the tiling system may be installed at asubsurface depth that is dependent upon the topography and the wetnessindex. In one embodiment, the subsurface depth may be proportional tothe wetness index, e.g., the higher the wetness index, the deeper thenetwork of passages configured to remove water, e.g., the pipes of thetiling system, may be installed below the surface, making it more likelythat a greater portion of the water will be captured by the pipes.

In yet another embodiment, the pipes of the tiling system can beinstalled in greater quantities and densities in portions of the landhaving high wetness indices than in land portions with low wetnessindices. In yet another embodiment, the network of passages configuredto remove water include trenches formed in the land that connect highwetness index land portions with water source locations such as lakes,ponds, streams, and other water sources where water may be discharged.In one embodiment, the location of the network of passages configured toremove water can be determined based on the shortest possible path fromthe high wetness index land portions to the water source.

In still another embodiment, a piping system can be installed withoperative features that allow for the removal of relatively more waterfrom areas of land having high wetness indices. For example, the pipesof the piping system may have holes to allow water in the soilenvironment to flow into the interior of the pipe and be transportedaway to a water source location. The pipes may be provided with valvesthat would control the amount of water that can flow into the pipes. Inone embodiment, the valves may be operable to control the amount ofwater that flows into the pipes and the amount of water that remains inthe soil at a given time. In one other embodiment, the valves areelectromechanically operated, e.g., a solenoid valve in which the valveis controlled by an electric current flowing through a solenoid. In oneembodiment, the operable valves, e.g., the solenoid valves, are operatedby a controlling system.

In another embodiment according to the present principles, the wetnessindex determinations may be used to manage, control and redistribute theamount of fertilizer applied to the land. For example, fertilizer may beapplied to the land, e.g., to all of the fields where crops have beenplanted. From the topographic data, the quantity of water that may runoff from an elevated area of land or areas of land to low lying areas ofland of lower elevation where water may accumulate can be determined. Inone embodiment, the solubility data for the fertilizer, e.g., the amountof fertilizer that dissolves in a unit of water at a given temperature,e.g., weight/volume, and in some instances, the time it takes for thedissolving to take place, e.g., weight/volume per unit of time, can beused to estimate how much fertilizer is transferred by water flowingfrom a relatively low wetness index area of land where there is waterrunoff to a relatively high wet wetness index area of land where thewater collects. By transporting fertilizer-containing water from the lowlying land areas to e.g., other land areas where there may be runoff,the amount of fertilizer used can be controlled and managed.

In yet another embodiment, nitrogen sensors that sense the amount offertilizer used to enhance the crop yield may be installed in order tocollect and transmit data on the nitrogen content in the soil ofindividual land area. The nitrogen content data collected by thenitrogen sensors can be analyzed to determine the amount of nitrogenbeing dissolved into the water which is being carried off to land areasof high wetness indices, which may be low lying land areas. The networkof passages configured to remove water, e.g., the pipe system, can beoperated by controlling operable valves, allowing water to betransported away and possibly redistributed to higher elevation, lowwetness index land areas. Further, the nitrogen content data collectedby the nitrogen sensors can be analyzed to determine where additionalfertilizer should be applied to the soil of one or more land areas.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals represent the sameor similar elements and initially to FIG. 1, an exemplary processingsystem 100 to which the present principles may be applied is shown. Theprocessing system 100 includes at least one processor (CPU) 104operatively coupled to other components via a system bus 102. A cache106, a Read Only Memory (ROM) 108, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 110, aninput/output (I/O) adapter 120, a sound adapter 130, a network adapter140, a user interface adapter 150, and a display adapter 160, areoperatively coupled to the system bus 102.

A first storage device 122 and a second storage device 124 areoperatively coupled to system bus 102 by the I/O adapter 120. Thestorage devices 122 and 124 can be any of a disk storage device (e.g., amagnetic or optical disk storage device), a solid state magnetic device,and so forth. The storage devices 122 and 124 can be the same type ofstorage device or different types of storage devices.

A speaker 132 is operatively coupled to system bus 102 by the soundadapter 130. A transceiver 142 is operatively coupled to system bus 102by network adapter 140. A display device 162 is operatively coupled tosystem bus 102 by display adapter 160.

A first user input device 152, a second user input device 154, and athird user input device 156 are operatively coupled to system bus 102 byuser interface adapter 150. The user input devices 152, 154 and 156 canbe any of a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, an image capture device, amotion sensing device, a microphone, a device incorporating thefunctionality of at least two of the preceding devices, and so forth. Ofcourse, other types of input devices can also be used, while maintainingthe spirit of the present principles. The user input devices 152, 154,and 156 can be the same type of user input device or different types ofuser input devices. The user input devices 152, 154, and 156 are used toinput and output information to and from system 100.

The processing system 100 may also include other elements (not shown),as readily contemplated by one of skill in the art, as well as omitcertain elements. For example, various other input devices and/or outputdevices can be included in processing system 100, depending upon theparticular implementation of the same, as readily understood by one ofordinary skill in the art. For example, various types of wireless and/orwired input and/or output devices can be used. Moreover, additionalprocessors, controllers, memories, and so forth, in variousconfigurations can also be utilized as readily appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art. It is to be appreciated that the termsprocessors and controllers can be used interchangeably herein. These andother variations of the processing system 100 are readily contemplatedby one of ordinary skill in the art given the teachings of the presentprinciples provided herein.

FIG. 2 is a drawing that represents topographic images that include datawhich can be analyzed in accordance with embodiments of the presentprinciples. The drawing shows a plot of land at resolutions of 1 meterand 3 meters, e.g., 1 m and 3 m. At 1 m, the resolution is sufficient toprovide detail for about a 1 m×1 m area of land. At 3 m, the resolutionis sufficient to provide detail for about a 3 m×3 m area of land. The 1m portion of the drawing represents an image that may obtained from aLidar system, and the 3 m portion of the drawing represents an imagethat may be obtained from the elevation data derived from another kindof topographical survey, e.g., such as one available from the NationalElevation Dataset (NED) created by the United States Geological Survey.Images may be available at other resolutions, e.g., 10 m, representing a10 m by 10 m area of land. A 1 m resolution Lidar image may provide thesharpest resolution of the details of the land and the most accurate andreliable elevation information. Such images may best show the areaswhere water is accumulating or where it is running off.

The image data shows regions of different shadings. The lightly-shadedregions represent higher elevation areas where water runs off to lowlying areas. The black-shaded regions and the darker shaded regionsrepresent low lying areas where water accumulates, e.g., the wateraccumulates as run off from higher elevation areas. The depiction of the1 m Lidar image is shown as having a sharper resolution than thedepiction of the 3 m elevation image.

The images of the kind represented in the drawing are comprised ofpixels. In one embodiment, each pixel of the images correlates with theimage resolution. For example, the pixels of an image having aresolution of 1 m may correspond to areas that are 1 m by 1 m in size;the pixels of an image having a resolution of 3 m may correspond toareas that are 3 m by 3 m in size; and the pixels of an image having aresolution of 10 m may correspond to areas that are 10 m by 10 m insize. Each pixel of the image stores topography data for the land arearepresented by the pixel, and stores the location of the land areacorresponding the pixel. The stored topography data may include theelevation of the land area of the pixel, e.g., the elevation above sealevel expressed as a unit of distance, such as feet or meters. Byextracting this information from the topography data, determinations canbe made, e.g., determinations such as the slope between adjacent ornearby land areas and the upslope contributing area, as discussed below.

The water run off areas generally correspond to higher ground and thewater accumulation areas correspond to lower ground. In the absence of abarrier or diversionary system, water may fill up in the wateraccumulation areas, depositing too much water in these places. Whetherwater accumulates and how much water accumulates may be based on thekind of soil and the soil characteristics. For example water may be morereadily absorbed by a high porosity soil and may be more likely tocollect on the surface, e.g., not be absorbed into the soil, if the soilhas a high clay content. Collected water may remain on the surface for arelatively long period of time, depending upon soil absorption rates andthe amount of water that runs off of relatively higher areas andcollects in lower areas.

FIG. 3 depicts a representative manner in which the wetness index(W_(i)) of the areas of land of a plot of land can be determined fromthe data available from a topographic image of the land. The gridarrangement shown the figure corresponds to the pixels of an image,which as indicated above represent a discreet land areas having a sizerelated to the resolution of the image. The figure is intended to beexemplary of the pixels and the areas of land captured by the pixels.Nine (9) discreet areas, e.g., squares, in a 3 by 3 configuration isshown in the figure. It should be understood that for a farm that may behundreds or thousands of acres in size, there may be an extremely largenumber of pixels that correspond to the entire farm.

Each of the nine (9) pixels is uniquely defined by its location that isdefined by a coordinate system based on two axes i, j. The centralsquare (e.g., pixel) is identified as i,j, and, the other eight squaresare identified relative to square i,j in a coordinate naming system thatis self-explained in FIG. 3. This identification system is one of manydifferent identification systems that can be used. For example, in thealternative each discreet area could be assigned a numeric identifier,an identifier that is an alphabet letter, or an alphanumeric identifier.

The pixels corresponding to discreet land areas of the plot of landcontain information on the elevation of that discreet land area. Fromthis information, the local slope between two or more adjacent pixels,e.g., discreet land areas, can be determined. When the local slope isdetermined, the wetness index (W_(i)) and the slope β between two ormore adjacent areas of land can be determined for the pixels, e.g.,discreet land areas.

In an example taken from FIG. 3, the slope β for the pixels identifiedas (i, j+1) and (i, j−1) may be determined as follows:

$\beta = {\frac{dz}{dx} = \frac{\left\lbrack {{{elev}\left( {i,{j + 1}} \right)} - {{elev}\left( {i,{j - 1}} \right)}} \right\rbrack}{{{length}\mspace{14mu}\left( {i,{j + 1}} \right)} + {{length}\mspace{14mu}\left( {i,{j - 1}} \right)}}}$

Where elev(i, j+1) and elev(i, j−1) are the elevations of the land areascorresponding to the pixels (i, j+1) and (i, j−1) respectively,expressed as a unit of length (e.g., meters, feet) and length (i, j+1)and length (i, j−1) are the lengths of discreet land areas representedby the pixels (i, j+1) and (i, j−1) respectively.

The wetness index (W_(i)) is defined as ln(α/tan(β)), where a is theupslope contributing area per unit contour length and β is the slopedetermined in the manner described above. The upslope contributing areais the number of pixels, e.g., areas of land, that share a continuousslope, e.g., a slope extending continuously in a given direction suchthat the accumulated flow (and therefore area) passed down from upslopeneighbors (e.g., land areas) ends up in a given land area. Thedirection(s) in which the water flows can be tracked from any given landarea to one or more other areas of land based in the relative elevationsof the neighboring pixels. The number of areas of land from which thewater of one given land area flows to or through can be identified.Likewise, the number of areas of land that contribute to the watercollecting on a given land area, in terms of the water originallyfalling on a land area, or water flowing through a land area or areas ofland on the way to the given land area where water is collecting can becounted and identified.

From this information, wetness indices can be determined for each pixel,e.g., land area in the plot of land. From this information, it can bedetermined which of the areas have low wetness indices and thus arelikely to pass water to other areas through run off, and which of theareas have high wetness indices are likely to receive water from otherareas.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a system 300 in accordance with an embodimentof the present principles is shown with respect to an operationalenvironment in which it can be utilized. System 300 includes a soilmoisture and water accumulation managing system 302 that includes one ormore processors 316 and memory 310 for storing applications, modules andother data. In one embodiment, the memory unit 310 includes a largenumber of memory blocks e.g., where calculations and data analysis maybe performed. The system 300 may also include one or more displays 312for viewing content. The display 312 may permit a user to interact withthe system and its components and functions. This may be facilitated bythe inclusion of a user interface 314, which may include a mouse,joystick, or any other peripheral or control to permit user interactionwith the system and/or its devices. It should be understood that thecomponents and functions of the system may be represented as one or morediscrete systems or workstations, or may be integrated as part of alarger system or workstation.

System 300 is depicted as a computer-implemented system for managing andcontrolling soil moisture and water accumulation in accordance with anembodiment of the present principles, thereby managing land, e.g.,farmland, in a manner that maximizes crop yields. By managing theconditions under which water is distributed due to topographicalconsiderations, those involved in farm management can maximize cropyields, thereby meeting and perhaps exceeding crop yield projections.

System 300 receives input 304, which may be topographical data, e.g.,maps and images. For example, such topographical maps and images maycome from the National Elevation Database (NED) created by the U.S.Geological Service. The information may come from work performed bygovernment or non-government agencies, individuals, and others who carryout Lidar imaging. In another embodiment, the topographic data may comefrom other sources, such as a direct survey of the land, remote sensing,other kinds of aerial and satellite imaging, photogrammetry, radar andsonar. Other data 307 may be input into the system, such as heat andtemperature data that would provide a basis for determining the extentof water evaporation that may occur. Such data may be collected bysensors located on or in the land. Such sensors may wirelessly transmitthe collected data to the system. Sensors may be located on or in theland for determining the amount of moisture in the soil, and/or theamount of water that collects on the surface of the land.

Wetness index determination system 302 includes pixel analyzer 318,wetness index calculator 320 and land area risk determiner/riskalleviator 322. The pixel analyzer 318 receives the input data, e.g.,topographical image data from the NED and identifies the plot of land tobe analyzed. The pixel analyzer 318 analyzes the topographical imagedata and extracts information on the elevations and locations of theareas of land within the larger area of land. From this information thepixel analyzer 318 determines the local slope between areas of land thatcorrespond to the pixels. In one embodiment, the pixel analyzer 318determines the local slope β through application of the formula:

$\beta = {\frac{dz}{dx} = \frac{\left\lbrack {{{elev}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)} - {{elev}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 2} \right)}} \right\rbrack}{{{length}\mspace{14mu}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)} + {{length}\mspace{14mu}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 2} \right)}}}$Where elev(pixel1) and elev(pixel2) are the elevations of the land areascorresponding to the pixels 1 and 2 respectively, expressed as a unit oflength (e.g., meters, feet) and length (pixel1) and length (pixel2) arethe lengths of the areas of land represented by the pixels 1 and 2respectively, where pixels 1 and 2 are areas of land, e.g., portions ofland within the plot of land. In relation to FIG. 3 above, pixels 1 and2 may be the aforementioned areas (i, j+1) and (i, j−1) respectively.

The wetness index calculator 320 makes a determination of the wetnessindex for each of the areas of land of the larger area of land. Thewetness index calculator may first determine the upslope contributingarea per unit contour length for each discreet area. The upslopecontributing area is the number of pixels, e.g., land areas, that slopetowards a given pixel area in which water flow accumulates, having beenpassed to the given pixel area from the neighboring upslope pixel areas.The direction(s) in which the water flows can be tracked from any givenpixel area to one or more other pixel areas based in the relativeelevations of the neighboring pixel areas. Through analysis of thetopographical image data 304 input into the system, the wetness indexcalculator may determine the upslope contributing area by counting theadjacent pixel areas with elevations that would run water off to thegiven pixel area at lower elevation.

The wetness index calculator 320, having determined the upslopecontributing area and having received the slope determinations made bythe pixel/cell analyzer, may then determine the wetness index throughapplication of the following formula:(W _(i))=ln(α/tan(β))where W_(i) is the wetness index for a pixel area, α is the upslopecontributing area per unit contour length of the pixel area, and β isthe local slope, as defined above.

The land area risk determiner and risk alleviator 322 makesdeterminations on which areas are at risk of accumulating an excessiveamount of water, which possibly may inhibit crop growth and cause otherproblems. The cell risk determiner and risk alleviator may receive inputinformation such as heat and temperature data 307, in order to makedeterminations regarding the amount of water evaporation that takesplace in a low lying area. The land area risk determiner and riskalleviator 322 may make the risk determination based on the determinedwetness indices. In one exemplary embodiment, ranges of wetness indexvalues are selected for purposes of classifying areas of land into highrisk, intermediate risk and low risk.

The land area risk determiner and risk alleviator 322 further initiatesand controls a risk alleviating action for purposes of maintaining goodgrowing conditions in that area at high risk of accumulating excesswater, such as by eliminating excess water upon the land. For example,the system 300, e.g., the land area risk determiner and risk alleviator322 may be in operative communication with a network of passagesconfigured to remove water, such as system of drainage pipes locatedbelow the surface of the land that transports water away when an excessamount of water collects on and in the land. For example, the land arearisk determiner and risk alleviator 322 may determine that, afterprecipitation has fallen or water has been distributed on the land by anirrigation system, excess water will flow to high risk areas, e.g.,areas having high wetness indices. In response to this condition, theland area risk determiner and risk alleviator 322 may actuate, or directthe actuation, of the network of passages configured to remove water.Such a network may be a network of drainage pipes in which valves of thepipes are actuated to open holes on the pipes in order to collect theexcess water in the pipes and transport same away to other places suchas ponds, streams, etc. Through the operation of the pipes, theselective removal of water may be realized at a controlled removal rate,thereby maximizing the value of the land. Pumps, to facilitate thetransport of water, may be installed in the system as well.

FIG. 5 depicts a system 330 in accordance with an alternative embodimentof the present principles. System 330 includes many of the samecomponents as system 300, which are identified by the same identifyingterminology and part numbers, which components perform the samefunctions as described with regard to system 300. The description ofthose components is relied on herein. System 330 includes additionalcapabilities regarding the application and distribution of fertilizer onand in the land, and the redistribution of fertilizer due to the flow ofwater from higher elevation areas of land (e.g., low wetness index areasof land) to lower elevation areas of land (e.g., high wetness indexareas of land).

In addition to receiving the input described above, system 300additionally receives input 308 regarding the fertilizer that has beenapplied to the land. For example, the input may be the amounts offertilizer applied to the land. This information may be input directly,e.g., a system operator may enter the data on the kind of fertilizer,the manner in which it was distributed, and the amount applied, e.g.,the amount applied per unit of area, the areas to which fertilizer isapplied, and if there are variances in the application, then the amountsapplied to each specific area. In another embodiment, the amount offertilizer is determined indirectly, e.g., through nitrogen sensors thatare installed in the land. The information on nitrogen concentrationscan be transmitted and input into the system 330.

The fertilizer distribution analyzer 324 receives the wetness indexdeterminations made for the discreet land areas by the wetness indexcalculator. The fertilizer distribution analyzer determines the amountof fertilizer in the soil within a given area through calculating adissolution rate of the fertilizer and the flow of water from lowwetness index areas of land to high wetness index areas of land. Forexample, the fertilizer distribution analyzer 324 receives informationconcerning the amount of water in a cell (received, e.g., from moisturesensors 307 installed in the land), and may receive information aboutthe soil and its water conductivity properties, receives the wetnessindex of the cell, and receives data for the fertilizer, e.g., theamount of fertilizer that dissolves in a unit of water, e.g.,weight/volume, and the time it takes for the dissolving to take place,e.g., weight/volume per unit of time. From this information, thefertilizer distribution analyzer 324 determines an estimate of theamount of fertilizer that dissolves in water and is transferred by waterflowing from a relatively low wetness index region (e.g., a highelevation cell where there is runoff) to a relatively high wet wetnessindex region (e.g., a low elevation cell where the water collects). Uponthe transfer of water in which fertilizer is dissolved, fertilizerdistribution analyzer 324 may determine the amounts of fertilizerremaining in the areas of land of high wetness indices and the areas ofland of low wetness indices.

As indicated above, with regard to system 300, land area risk determinerand risk alleviator 322 may control and manage an underground waterremoval system that may be a series of interconnected pipes that havebeen installed in the land. The fertilizer distribution analyzer 324 mayinstruct the land area risk determiner and risk alleviator 322 toactuate a network of passages configured to remove water. Such a networkmay be an underground pipe network, in which the pipes of the networkhave electromechanically operated valves 328 e.g., solenoid valves, thatare actuated in order to direct the pipes of high wetness index areas ofland to transport the fertilizer-containing water to an irrigationsystem 332 where the fertilizer-containing water is combined with waterbeing supplied to the irrigation system 332 and is then applied to theland, e.g., the land in areas of land of low wetness indices 334. Pumps,to facilitate the transport of water, may be installed in the system aswell.

Further, the nitrogen content data collected by the nitrogen sensors canbe analyzed to determine from which areas of land the run off originatesby weighting the relative slopes and determining the probable flow ofwater from one cell to the other. From the data analysis, it may bedetermined that such areas of land, which may be lower wetness indexregions, should receive added fertilizer.

Since the water that is removed from the plot still has fertilizerdissolved in it, the water can be redirected again and redistributedusing, for example, a sprinkler system in an area where the fertilizeramounts are low. The time that irrigation takes place in those areas maybe adjusted accordingly, such as for example, to increase the amounts offertilizer deposited by water.

System 330 may be provided with a feedback loop that redirects the waterthat has been transported in the pipes to the low wetness index regionsuntil the water being collected in the high wetness index regions hasreduced fertilizer levels.

Referring to FIG. 6, shown is a pipe segment 355 operable in embodimentsof the present principles. Pipe segment 350 is provided with holes oropenings 355, two of which are exemplarily identified in the figure.Valve 360 is provided on the pipe segment to open and close the holes oropenings 355 by communication 362 with a controller, e.g., the cell riskdeterminer and risk alleviator 322 of systems 300 and 330. The valves360 may be electromechanically operated valves e.g., solenoid valves,under the control of system 330. It should be understood that a numberof pipe segments 350 would be connected together to form a pipe network.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary example in the field of the control of soilmoisture and water accumulation in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent principles. Depicted is an aerial view of a plot of land, e.g.,farmland. High elevation, e.g., low wetness index areas of land areidentified as 375. Low elevation, e.g., high wetness index areas of landare identified as 370. A network of passages configured to remove water,e.g., a network of pipes 380 extend from the high wetness index areas ofland 370 to stream 385. The opening and closing of valves associatedwith the pipes may be controlled by system 302, as described above(valves are not shown). While the depiction of system 302 in the figuremay appear to be local, it should be understood that this does not haveto be the case. For example, the system 302 may be in a remote locationor it may be in a cloud computing environment.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary example in the field of the control offertilizer accumulation in accordance with an embodiment of the presentprinciples. Depicted is an aerial view of a plot of land, e.g.,farmland. Locations/components 370, 375, 380 and 385 are as identifiedin FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, nitrogen sensors and moisture sensors 395are located at various locations across the farm. As depicted, thesesensors transmit and receive information wirelessly from the system 330.Determinations are made to assess the amounts of nitrogen in the soildue to water accumulation in low elevation, high wetness index areas ofland 370 and the run off from high elevation, low wetness index areas ofland 375. A network of passages configured to remove water, e.g., a pipenetwork 390, under the control of system 330, is provided to transferfertilizer-containing water from the high wetness index areas of land370 to the low wetness index areas of land 375. The opening and closingof valves associated with the pipes may be controlled by system 330, asdescribed above (valves are not shown). While the depiction of system330 in the figure may appear to be local, it should be understood thatthis does not have to be the case. For example, the system 330 may be ina remote location or it may be in a cloud computing environment.

Referring to FIG. 9, an exemplary method 400 of controlling soilmoisture and fertilizer content, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent principles, is described. Part or all of method 400 may beperformed by systems 300 and 330 of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, respectively.

In block 405, information about a plot of land, e.g., a larger area ofland such as a farm is obtained. The information may be topographicdata. Other information that may be obtained include the amount ofmoisture in the soil, the heat and temperature of the soil, and heat andtemperature of the ambient environment. Other information that may beobtained includes the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Such informationmay be indicative of the amount of fertilizer that has been applied tothe land and which is present after effects such as water runoff fromhigher elevation areas of land and water collection in lower elevationareas of land have taken place.

In block 410, the slope of the land between two or more areas of land isdetermined, such as by extracting from the topographic data informationconcerning the elevations and locations of areas of land within thelarger area of land. As indicated, topographic images such as thoseobtained from a Lidar system and the NED system includes information onelevations and locations on a pixel by pixel basis. In one embodiment,each pixel is representative of a cell, e.g., a discreet area of land,having a length dimension and a width dimension, in addition to adimension corresponding to elevation. The slope of the land may bedetermined between adjacent areas of land. It may be determined amongareas of land arranged in some other pattern, such as those arrangedconsecutively and linearly, to name but one example. The local slope βmay be determined as follows:

$\beta = {\frac{dz}{dx} = \frac{\left\lbrack {{{elev}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)} - {{elev}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 2} \right)}} \right\rbrack}{{{length}\mspace{14mu}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)} + {{length}\mspace{14mu}\left( {{pixel}\mspace{14mu} 2} \right)}}}$Where elev(pixel1) and elev(pixel2) are the elevations of the land areascorresponding to the pixels 1 and 2 respectively (which in the presentexample, may be adjacent to each other). Length (pixel1) and length(pixel2) are the lengths of discreet land areas represented by thepixels 1 and 2 respectively, where pixels 1 and 2 are land area portionswithin a matrix of land portions. Elevation and length are expressed asa unit of length (e.g., meters, feet).

In block 415, the upslope contributing area is determined, as indicatedabove.

In block 420, the wetness index for individual areas of land isdetermined. The wetness index is determined as follows:(W _(i))=ln(α/tan(β))where W_(i) is the wetness index for a land area portion, α is theupslope contributing area per unit contour length of the land areaportion, and β is the slope, as defined above.

In block 425, areas of land at high risk to accumulate and/or collectexcessive water are identified. This information may be obtained byclassifying the areas of land in ranges of wetness indices, e.g., a highwetness index range and a low wetness index range. Other information mayconsidered in ascertaining the risk, e.g., the heat or solar radiationaccumulating in the cell, and information regarding the type of soilwithin the cell.

In block 430, action is taken to divert water away from high wetnessindex land areas, in order to reduce the risk associated with theaccumulation and/or collection of excessive water in areas determined tohave high wetness indices. In one exemplary embodiment, water may betransported away from the high wetness index areas of land by a networkof passages configured to remove water, such as a network of undergroundpipes that may collect the excess water and transport it away from thehigh wetness index areas of land. The water may be transported to awater source location such as a stream, a lake, a pond, a river, andother kinds of water sources. In another embodiment, the water may betransported away in a trench or ditch that is formed in the surface ofthe land.

FIG. 9 further describes an exemplary method of controlling soilmoisture and fertilizer content, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent principles. Referring to block 408, among the data obtained isinformation concerning the amount of fertilizer applied to the land.This information may be obtained as described above. The actions takenin blocks 405, 410, 415, 420 and 425 are also performed, e.g., performedalong with the action of block 408.

In block 428, the amount of fertilizer present in the areas of land oflow wetness indices and the areas of land of high wetness indices isdetermined. This determination may be performed as described above.

In block 432, fertilizer-containing water from high wetness index landareas is diverted to low wetness index land areas. In this way,fertilizer that has accumulated and/or collected in areas of landdetermined to have high wetness indices (e.g., areas of land at highrisk of water accumulation) may be redistributed to areas of landdetermined to have low wetness indices (e.g., areas of land at low riskof water accumulation). In one exemplary embodiment, water may betransported away from the high wetness index areas of land by a networkof passages configured to remove water, such as a network of undergroundpipes that connect to an irrigation system to which thefertilizer-containing water is added and redistributed to areas of landof low wetness indices.

Controlling soil moisture, water accumulation, and fertilizerdistribution in accordance with an embodiment of the present principlesoffers several advantages. For example, water accumulation, soilmoisture levels, and fertilizer distribution across the land may beequalized, so that the crop yields for the entire farm may be maximized.All of land should be workable by heavy machinery, without being harmed,regardless of the wetness index of the cell, e.g., portion of land.Redistributing fertilizer should reduce the overall costs for thismaterial.

While the present disclosure includes a detailed description on cloudcomputing, it should be understood that implementation of the subjectmatter described herein is not limited to a cloud computing environment.Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of beingimplemented in conjunction with any other type of computing environmentnow known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email). Theconsumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructureincluding network, servers, operating systems, storage, or evenindividual application capabilities, with the possible exception oflimited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for loadbalancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a schematic of an example of a cloud computingnode 510 is shown. Cloud computing node 510 is only one example of asuitable cloud computing node and is not intended to suggest anylimitation as to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments of theinvention described herein. Regardless, cloud computing node 510 iscapable of being implemented and/or performing any of the functionalityset forth hereinabove.

In cloud computing node 510 there is a computer system/server 512, whichis operational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 512 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 512 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 512 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 10, computer system/server 512 in cloud computing node510 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 512 may include, but are notlimited to, one or more processors or processing units 516, a systemmemory 528, and a bus 518 that couples various system componentsincluding system memory 528 to processor 516.

Bus 518 represents one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 512 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 512, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 528 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 530 and/or cachememory 532. Computer system/server 512 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 534 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 518 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 528 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 540, having a set (at least one) of program modules 542,may be stored in memory 528 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 542 generally carry out the functionsand/or methodologies of embodiments of the invention as describedherein.

Computer system/server 512 may also communicate with one or moreexternal devices 514 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display524, etc.; one or more devices that enable a user to interact withcomputer system/server 512; and/or any devices (e.g., network card,modem, etc.) that enable computer system/server 512 to communicate withone or more other computing devices. Such communication can occur viaInput/Output (I/O) interfaces 522. Still yet, computer system/server 512can communicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 520. As depicted, network adapter 520communicates with the other components of computer system/server 512 viabus 518. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 512. Examples include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 11, illustrative cloud computing environment 650is depicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 650 comprises one ormore cloud computing nodes 610 with which local computing devices usedby cloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant(PDA) or cellular telephone 654A, desktop computer 654B, laptop computer654C, and/or automobile computer system 654N may communicate. Nodes 610may communicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown)physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private,Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or acombination thereof. This allows cloud computing environment 650 tooffer infrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which acloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 654A-Nshown in FIG. 11 are intended to be illustrative only and that computingnodes 610 and cloud computing environment 650 can communicate with anytype of computerized device over any type of network and/or networkaddressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).

FIG. 12 shows a set of functional abstraction layers provided by cloudcomputing environment 650. It should be understood in advance that thecomponents, layers, and functions shown in FIG. 12 are intended to beillustrative only and embodiments of the invention are not limitedthereto. As depicted, the following layers and corresponding functionsare provided:

Hardware and software layer 760 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include mainframes, in oneexample IBM® zSeries® systems; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)architecture based servers, in one example IBM pSeries® systems; IBMxSeries® systems; IBM BladeCenter® systems; storage devices; networksand networking components. Examples of software components includenetwork application server software, in one example IBM WebSphere®application server software; and database software, in one example IBMDB2® database software. (IBM, zSeries, pSeries, xSeries, BladeCenter,WebSphere, and DB2 are trademarks of International Business MachinesCorporation registered in many jurisdictions worldwide).

Virtualization layer 762 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers;virtual storage; virtual networks, including virtual private networks;virtual applications and operating systems; and virtual clients.

In one example, management layer 764 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning provides dynamic procurement of computingresources and other resources that are utilized to perform tasks withinthe cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing provide costtracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computingenvironment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management providescloud computing resource allocation and management such that requiredservice levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planning andfulfillment provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of, cloudcomputing resources for which a future requirement is anticipated inaccordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 766 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation; software development and lifecycle management; virtualclassroom education delivery; data analytics processing; transactionprocessing; and soil moisture, water accumulation, and fertilizercontrol.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like,and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” ofthe present principles, as well as other variations thereof, means thata particular feature, structure, characteristic, and so forth describedin connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodimentof the present principles. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment”, as well any other variations,appearing in various places throughout the specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

It is to be appreciated that the use of any of the following “/”,“and/or”, and “at least one of”, for example, in the cases of “A/B”, “Aand/or B” and “at least one of A and B”, is intended to encompass theselection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of thesecond listed option (B) only, or the selection of both options (A andB). As a further example, in the cases of “A, B, and/or C” and “at leastone of A, B, and C”, such phrasing is intended to encompass theselection of the first listed option (A) only, or the selection of thesecond listed option (B) only, or the selection of the third listedoption (C) only, or the selection of the first and the second listedoptions (A and B) only, or the selection of the first and third listedoptions (A and C) only, or the selection of the second and third listedoptions (B and C) only, or the selection of all three options (A and Band C). This may be extended, as readily apparent by one of ordinaryskill in this and related arts, for as many items listed.

Having described preferred embodiments of a system and method ofcontrolling soil moisture, water accumulation and fertilizerdistribution in land (which are intended to be illustrative and notlimiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made bypersons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It istherefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particularembodiments disclosed which are within the scope of the invention asoutlined by the appended claims. Having thus described aspects of theinvention, with the details and particularity required by the patentlaws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for controlling soil moisture and water accumulation in land, comprising: employing elevation and location data from pixels of a topographic image to determine wetness indices for defined areas of land based on a slope between two or more defined areas of land and an upslope contributing area per unit contour length for the defined areas of land; based on the wetness indices, identifying at risk defined areas of land that are at risk of accumulating water; and removing water from the at risk defined areas of land to reduce the risk of accumulating water in the at risk defined areas of land and enhance crop growth potential.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the topographic image that includes topographic data from a database that stores topographic images.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wetness indices (W_(i)) are determined by the formula: ln(α/tan(β)) wherein α is the upslope contributing area per unit contour length and β is the slope between two or more defined areas of land.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein removing water includes transporting water in a network of passages configured to remove water that extends from the at risk defined areas of land to another location.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining an amount of fertilizer in the water in the at risk defined areas of land.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the amount of fertilizer includes determining the amount of fertilizer based on solubility characteristics of the fertilizer in the water and/or an amount of nitrogen present in the at risk defined areas of land.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein removing water includes controlling an amount of water removed from the at risk defined areas of land dependent on water absorption characteristics of soil and a rate of evaporation of water from a surface of the at risk defined areas of land.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein removing water includes transporting water in a network of pipes that extends from the at risk defined areas of land to areas of land that are determined, based on the determined wetness indices, to be at a low risk of accumulating water.
 9. A system for controlling soil moisture and water accumulation in land, comprising: a processing system having one or more processors and memory coupled to the one or more processors, the processing system configured to: analyze topographic data to determine elevations and locations of defined areas of the land; compute wetness indices for the defined areas of the land; and determine and alleviate risk based on the determined wetness indices by identifying at risk defined areas of land that are at risk of accumulating water and controlling removal of water from the at risk defined areas of land; and a water transport mechanism configured to transport water from the at risk defined areas of land.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing system analyzes pixels of images in the topographic data to determine the elevations and locations of the defined areas of the land, wherein each pixel corresponds to a defined area of the land.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein wetness index is employed to determine a slope between two or more defined areas of land, and an upslope contributing area per unit contour length of the defined areas of land, the wetness indices of the defined areas of the land being based on determined values for the slope and the upslope contributing area.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the water transport mechanism includes an underground network of pipes that extends from the at risk defined areas of land to another location.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the underground network of pipes includes valves to selectively permit flow of water.
 14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing system further comprises a fertilizer distribution analyzer that determines an amount of fertilizer dissolved in the water in at risk defined areas of land.
 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing system further comprises a fertilizer distribution analyzer that controls redistribution of fertilizer-containing water from the at risk defined areas of land to areas of land that are determined, based on the determined wetness indices, to be at a low risk of accumulating water using the water transport mechanism.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing system controls the redistribution of fertilizer-containing water using pipes provided with valves which are opened to remove water and closed to retain water in the at risk defined areas of land.
 17. The system of claim 9, further comprising sensors in operative communication with the processing system to measure one or more of moisture in the land and nitrogen content of the land.
 18. A computer program product for controlling soil moisture and water accumulation in land, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions being executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising: employing elevation and location data from pixels of a topographic image to determine wetness indices for defined areas of land based on a slope between two or more defined areas of land and an upslope contributing area per unit contour length for the defined areas of land; based on the wetness indices, identifying at risk defined areas of land that are at risk of accumulating water; and controlling transport of water from the at risk defined areas of land to reduce the risk of accumulating water in the at risk defined areas of land and enhance crop growth potential.
 19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions executable by a computer cause the computer to determine an amount of fertilizer dissolved in water in at risk defined areas of land.
 20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions executable by a computer cause the computer to: control removal of water using an underground network of pipes that extends from the at risk defined areas of land to areas of land that are determined, based on the determined wetness indices, to be at a low risk of accumulating water. 